Secret World
by Rogue The Phantom
Summary: I didn't use a lot of LOTR characters, just Tolkien's concept of elves and their life cycles. Serenity Miller discovers an underground earth of elves who have hidden away from the world of men. When a dark elf kidnaps her mother, Reni will turn to Loren, an elf who hates mortal men, for help. Together they'll search for the Sword of the Queens and a way to trap the dark elf's soul.
1. Full Throttle

Disclaimer: Okay, so I didn't want to use LOTR characters in this story, but I did use Tolkien's concepts for elves and elf history from some of his other books. At some point LOTR characters may make an appearance so I want to inform you that I don't own any of the characters, or the world. I'm just a fan who loves the movies and the books and wants to add her own little world onto this great legend. -Rogue

Secret World

Chapter One

Full Throttle

"Are you sure I can do this?" Serenity Miller frowned looking at the quad as if it were a piece of alien machinery. The shiny black off road vehicle looked almost brown from all the sand it had been kicking up the last few hours. Reni loved riding the quad, but she'd never driven it herself. Riding behind J.W., her best friend, felt safer than being left on her own.

"You'll be fine," he replied pushing her towards the quad. The high summer sun blazed above them shining off the slick surfaces where the dust had slid off. She looked around at the dirt roads that wound through the desert. Several of J.W.'s friends zipped here and there jumping off of things and kicking up clouds of dust that could rival a wind whipped storm.

"No," Reni cringed pushing a root beer lock behind her ear. "I'll crash and hurt myself and be lost in the desert forever!" J.W. held in a smirk holding her gaze at eye level. Standing side by side there wasn't much of a height difference between them, Reni on the tall side for a seventeen year old girl. J.W. at his six feet seemed taller than most in their class.

"Stop being so dramatic," he said helping her into the seat. "I've taught you how to ride it, Reni."

"No. You showed me what all the levers do. I've never driven it on my own Jay." She frowned looking over the throttle and brake that reminded her of a bike's handlebars. J.W. pushed a helmet down over her ponytail before she could change her mind and pull herself off of the quad. It roared to life as he revved the engine. "You've watched me drive a million times. Stop being such a wuss."

"You're mean," she grunted placing gloved hands on the grips. The long sleeved padded jersey she wore made the sun feel like an oven, sweat forming along her brow and sliding down her back. Just the thought of being all sweaty made her feel gross, but she didn't complain. She couldn't leave until Jay was ready to go anyways since he'd been her ride.

"I'm practical." He stood back, doe eyes squinting into the bright sun. Clouds appeared in the distance, dark, foreshadowing a coming monsoon storm that would turn the sand into a deep mud. "You'd better try it now before the monsoons hit."

Reni took a deep breath looking over the hills and well worn tracks in the dirt. Cacti, tall with arms reaching towards the sky, dotted several areas that Reni wished to avoid. Creosote bushes and Desert Spoon shrubs with leaves ending in long spikes clashed green against the reds and browns of the southern Arizona desert. Another deep breath and she twisted the throttle sending the quad forward. It jumped speeding away before Reni could fully understand what had happened.

"Grab the bra…" J.W. shouted his voice growing softer as she drifted away. The wind whipped past so violently that his words blurred with the hiss. Colors swirled into a blue, red and tawny flash. Without thinking she twisted the throttle again her stomach clenching. Her mind went blank.

The quad leapt over a hump in the sandy roadway and landed with a thunk pushing forward. The handles jerked pulling the quad off the roadway and into the barren desert. She zipped through hills and plateaus fumbling for the brake. The quad turned sliding. A wall of dust lifted into the air as Reni plowed into a solid rock wall.

"Will she be alright?" The voice was deep and soft, kind with an edge of chill. It wasn't one Reni recognized and her stomach clenched.

"You fear too much for the mortals," came the reply. Another bass voice, though rough with years gone by. "She will heal, yes, but it shall take _time_."

She wondered if this were a dream. Her eyes shifted back and forth in the dark behind her lids, bringing images of a burnt red plateau wall. The quad on its side tires spinning without going anywhere. Pain wracked her body from her head to her toes which were loose, no longer shielded by the heavy boots she'd worn. Sleep had never been difficult for her to come out of. A sound that would stir her, warm sun across her face, but this time was different. Her eyelids refused to pull apart, her body protesting even the slightest movement of her fingers.

"I do not fear for mortals," the first said, a touch of anger in his words. "I may not fear for them, but I do feel sorrow when one finds us in such a state as this one. Broken bones, her face covered in scrapes and blood. Pain should not be felt by any." Reni lay quiet listening to the cool tones of the first voice. He sounded almost muffled, as if he spoke behind a mask.

"It is odd that one should find us. We've remained hidden among the caves of the Sierra Vista deserts for a long time and she heals quickly." The second, unlike the first, did not sound muffled. Reni fought to open her lids only allowing a small slit.

Two men stood above her, mostly shadowed by her own eyelashes. The sky had grown dark, it seemed, a soft bluish glow coming from somewhere above. The men were tall as trees and lithe both with cream soda colored shaggy curls. Slate eyes watched her for any sign of movement, the pupils large in the dark. The second seemed older, his face a road map of wrinkles.

"Do you suspect that she is one of us? You seemed concerned with her ability to heal," the first said. Without thinking he brushed at wrinkles on his light blue tunic before adjusting the brown leather belt at his waist.

The second took a deep breath. "I cannot be sure. It has been some ages since I have healed a mortal and the women are far better at healing arts than I. Perhaps it is simply my fumbling at healing that causes her strange pace."

"You do not seem to truly believe that." The first frowned, his sharp features seeming to pull tighter beneath a silver mask. It dipped around his nose circling his eyes like the masks she'd seen worn at mardi gras on TV. His bowed lips and well defined chin the only features she could truly see.

"Why Loren Riverwood! Are you calling me a liar?" The second asked with a chuckle. Warm tones filled the room.

"No, but I do not think you believe she is simply a mortal. It has only been two days and already the scrapes across her face have mostly healed. The broken bones have very little left to fuse for it to be whole."

"Her skin does seem to glow." The second placed a hand on his chin in thought, the second holding his elbow. "It would not be strange to find a half-breed among the mortals."

"Are you saying that she may be half elf, Elder?" Loren seemed shocked at this revelation turning away from Reni's limp form. With his eyes averted she chanced taking a deep breath and opening her eyes a bit wider. The air felt cool, almost damp as if the monsoon rains had poured into the room itself. It smelt fresh, not musty as she expected, like a large forest. Blue glowing orbs filled the ceiling like stars in the night sky and she could tell that it wasn't the sky that appeared dark, but a room. Beneath her hands she could feel a wooden table, cold and marked with a design she couldn't see.

"The glow to her pale skin would suggest as much. With the sun so bright and rarely gone above ground I would have thought her skin to be far darker, or flecked with freckles." Elder held his arm out lifting her own to meet his. "Do you not see how her pale skin seems to match our own?" Reni almost gasped as Elder rolled back the sleeves of his tunic revealing ghostly skin that seemed to hint at silver. As his arm fell against her she could see that she too had the same strange glow.

"How can that be possible?" Loren gasped for her. Elder smiled revealing perfect white teeth behind thin lips.

"Galdor's followers had been exiled. It would be possible that one would have chosen a human to wed. A half-breed would have been the result," Elder explained in a matter-of-fact tone. Loren frowned, brows narrowing and forming a wrinkle between them.

"Even in exile you believe they would choose one of them over one of us? Galdor had many followers," Loren argued. Reni could feel an itch forming on her nose. It tickled giving her the feeling of needing to sneeze.

"Galdor had many followers, yes, but not all got along. Some would have done anything for him; others did not wish to die. None believed in his plan wholly. There were disagreements. I do not think that a union between any of them would be likely." Elder frowned again, scratching his smooth chin. "Elves do feel the need to marry. Immortality can be a long existence alone. I believe a few would find mortals to settle with."

"We need to return her above ground." This time Loren frowned, his perfect lips drooping unpleasantly.

"Do you suggest that she get herself through the desert? It is too harsh to leave her to wander out there alone. All of this healing will have been in vain," Elder argued. Reni fought to keep from nodding in agreement.

"Then what is your suggestion? I can see that she stirs. It will not be long before she awakens." Loren crossed his arms firmly across his chest.

"I suggest you find somewhere for her to sleep since you were the one to find her and bring her back. There are a few women here that would harbor a half-breed," Elder suggested, a chuckle behind his smile. Loren's jaw dropped.

"We are to keep her here?"

Elder nodded. Reni could see thin silver wires wrapped around his head like a crown. "Do you suggest we leave her to wander on a broken leg?" Reni wondered which leg had been broken. Neither felt heavy with a cast and she hadn't felt pain since waking.

"No," Loren sighed. He turned to Reni, head cocked. "Since you have awakened I assume you can tell us your name." Reni's eyes slammed shut.

"You have scared her Loren." Elder chuckled no longer able to hide it. Reni's eyes flew open once more. She could see they were in a small room made completely of wood like a log cabin. Markings decorated the top surface of the wall reaching out to glowing orbs on the ceiling, the stars she'd seen before. The cozy room held little furniture, a small table with a vase of flowers, the table she lay on and nothing more. From where she lay she couldn't see any windows.

"My…my name is Serenity. Reni," she croaked her throat dry. It felt scratchy, like someone took a cheese grater and slid it slowly up and down.

"Reenee?" He pronounced drawing the vowels out. Reni nodded.

"How do you feel Reni?" Elder asked before taking a seat on a carved wooden stool. Mentally she assessed her body. Everything felt fine, her face a little sore once she thought about it. Still she couldn't tell which leg she'd broken.

"I feel fine. Nothing seems too sore, but my face. I can't really feel my legs." She could hear the panic in her own voice as she tried to sit up. Gently Loren pushed her back down. Immediately she felt queasy, her head spinning.

"Ah, yes, well that would be the salve. It will take a while for you to regain feeling. We have tried to keep the pain minimal," Elder explained. His eyes seemed to glitter like stars as he looked over her face.

"Where am I?" Again the panic seemed to grow. She couldn't remember much between slamming into the rock wall and waking up with two men standing over the top of her.

"You should not-" Loren began but Elder held up a slender hand with pianist fingers that Reni envied.

"Welcome to Historidan, underground land of the Desert Elves," he answered. The stars in his eyes seemed to glow brighter as Reni eyed him, then Loren and back to him.

"I'm sorry. What?" She shrieked.


	2. Historidan

I just want to thank everyone who read the last chapter. Thank you so much for your PM's. I appreciate your opinions and encouragements! I can't wait to hear what you have to say about chapter two.

RogueXOXO

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Chapter Two

Historidan

"I'm dreaming, right? I didn't actually wake up. Maybe I'm dead. This isn't exactly how I pictured death, but who knows?" She rambled unable to stop the flood of words flowing from her mouth. Fear rattled her butterflies dancing through her stomach. Without feeling her legs she felt nervous, scared that she would never feel them again.

"You are not dreaming and you have not passed into the light yet, unless there is something that I am unaware of." Elder chuckled lightly trying to ease her panic. Reni let out a breath trying to calm her self. "I did not lie when I told you that you are among the elves."

"Elves aren't real! They belong in movies and books and comics and with nerds in a room full of other nerds dressed in costumes with trading cards and weird video games!" She barely breathed allowing the sentence to run together until the words seemed to mash into each other.

Loren frowned. "Just because you have not seen an elf does not make them myth."

"Elves are small. They build toys and fix shoes. You're taller than most men I know." Her eyes narrowed as she looked over Loren. His jaw clenched and he looked tense and unfeeling.

"There is a reason your race has not seen our people, but I think I should like to discuss that later. For now we should try to find you a place to sleep. The lights will be going out soon." Elder stood with more grace than a ballet dancer. He held out a hand to Reni who paused after sitting up on her elbows. Her legs, though she could see them, still had no feeling.

"I don't think I can get up," she whispered trying desperately to wiggle the toes within her white socks. No matter how hard she tried they wouldn't move.

"We will help you. You must show a little trust," Loren growled trying to wrap an arm under hers. The gesture felt stiff and awkward and Reni found herself resisting.

"I don't know you," Reni snarled trying to turn her body so that her legs dangled off the edge of the table.

"Then take a leap of faith," Elder replied with a gentle smile that felt warmer than the cool demeanor coming from Loren. Gently his arm slid beneath her own. Together they helped her slide onto her feet, her legs like jell-o beneath her.

"How long before I can feel my legs?" She whined as they led her to a contraption that reminded her of a wooden wheelchair. Silvery cushions like squares of moon beams that had been padded filled the chair. Intricate designs had been carved into the sides giving it a throne-like appearance.

"Should not be much longer I should think though we have not had much experience on humans," Elder explained pushing her along. The smaller room opened into a small tunnel without windows. More glowing orbs inlaid into the ceiling gave the hallway a blue look casting off just enough light to see by. Glowing silver inlaid into the walls shone casting ribbons across the floor.

Once out of the hallway she could see trees, a sea of silvery green with tendrils reaching towards a ceiling of glowing stars that filled the cavern's ceiling. Grasses grew beneath the shade of the trees rising halfway up the trunks. Small pathways illuminated by lights wound through the trees. Above she could see houses built into the trees, bridges connecting the buildings. Winding stairs wrapped up a few trunks, but most of the buildings seemed to be above the plush ground.

"Wow," she breathed looking over the silvery glow of the trees and homes. Everything seemed to shine on its own. "Are we still in Sierra Vista?"

"Yes. We are still in Arizona," Elder whispered leaning down to speak with her. "A long time ago elves were driven below ground."

"We have created our own lands beneath your world," Loren added looking into the trees. His face remained stoic.

"How are you going to get a wheelchair up the stairs?" She wondered looking over the ornate stairways and lavish bridges.

"You will have to be helped up the stairs. Elves do not often require chairs with wheels," Elder explained pushing her up to a winding staircase. The stairs had been built of a white wood that seemed green in the light coming from the ceiling and the trees. He pulled the chair off to the side and pulled her out of it. With Loren's help they slowly climbed, Reni dragging her legs the best she could manage, up the stairs. A gentle breeze whispered around them rattling the leaves and singing in a language Reni could never hope to understand.

"How is this possible if we are below the desert? I don't see any water sources," Reni asked as they crested the top stair. Each building wrapped around the tree in a circular form with decks that spread out like saucers attached to the trees. Each building carried lanterns off the edge of the rooftop adding to the glow in the room. All the buildings had windows, white curtains billowing out.

"Elves have magic of their own. A long time ago we pooled our magic to form our own lands beneath your lands," Elder said. They stopped in front of a building knocking on the door. A mask hung on the outside. They hadn't seen anyone as they moved across a couple of bridges.

"What's with the masks?" She hissed as the door cracked open. A woman stood on the other side. Long silvery hair hung near her waist in light ripples. Her slight figure had been covered by a thin gown, a chain hanging around her waist like a belt. Like Loren she wore a pearly mardi gras mask.

"It is a sign that we are single. We do not show our faces to others than our family until we are wed," Loren hissed.

At the same time Elder spoke with the woman. "Marnen I should like to ask your help in caring for our friend." He motioned to Reni who sagged against Loren's taller frame.

"You have brought a mortal here?" She hissed angrily. Her slate eyes darted back and forth as if checking for others on the empty walkways.

"I did not bring her here. Loren found her in quite a state," he motioned to her leg which had been wrapped in material that looked like leaves. "She is recovering from wounds and we cannot send her into the desert alone. Until we can find the search party that has been sent for her we will need to host her here."

Marnen frowned with narrowed eyes. "Are you married? I do not see a ring."

"No! I'm only seventeen!" Reni shrieked feeling warmth spreading on her face the heat radiating outward.

"Then why does she not have a mask?" Marnen put her hands on her hips in a motherly fashion.

"She is not one of us," Loren growled shifting his weight almost as if to push her away. Reni could feel her embarrassment growing.

"We will instruct her of the rules once she has a place to stay. If you cannot host her than I will find another," Elder said, his voice becoming authoritative. Marnen settled back a bit, tensing.

"King Elder I would do as you please, but I do not approve."

"I am not asking for your approval. There is something special about this young woman. Treat her with the same respect that you would give our own kind," Elder instructed. Marnen nodded reluctantly stepping aside. Loren pulled her into the main room pass the threshold. The center of the room held the large trunk of a tree. Branches sprouted this way and that reaching out through windows and holes in the walls. The door opened into a living room, open and spacious. Several wooden loveseats sectioned off the room from a kitchen and dining room that wrapped around the tree.

"I will do as expected so long as she wears a mask." Marnen curtsied as Loren laid Reni on plush sky blue cushions. Elder pulled the mask off of the door handing it to Reni the thick ribbons fluttering around her.

"Later we shall have some fitted and that can be replaced on the door. I will return to check on her. I should hope that you would provide healing for her in my place." Elder's brows cocked. Reni put the mask up to her face looking through the small holes. It felt strange against her face tickling her skin.

"Put it on," Loren instructed.

"Why?" She frowned playing with the ends of the ribbons. They fluttered twirling around her arm like a snake.

"Elves are monogamous. We believe in marrying for our personalities and our beliefs rather than our looks. We wear masks to keep us from making a carnal decision. It is the law. Masks until marriage," Marnen explained. "For you it shall just be a formality until you leave."

"What, you don't want other elves to see my face?" Reni snapped feeling her cheeks grow warm again. Marnen's own face grew crimson.

"They would never choose a mortal over their own kind!" Loren's eyes grew wide as saucers.

"Enough. This will not continue. Contention cannot be tolerated here!" Elder said his face growing dark. His voice didn't grow louder, but seemed to boom around them. Marnen and Loren shuttered feeling the power of his words. "Marnen I expect you to treat Reni as if she were my daughter come to stay with you. Should I hear otherwise you shall find yourself in an un-favorable position Marnen." His tone had grown stern taking on the authority of a king. Even Reni found herself cringing. Marnen didn't add anything as Elder left, Loren giving a curt nod as he followed along behind. The taller woman turned to her unwelcomed guest eyes narrowed to thin slits.

"Do you have a name?" Marnen growled though she tried to sound cheerful. It came out rather flat without much emotion at all. Without the looming fear of unknown Reni could feel the shy side of herself coming out. She sat in a tree-house with an elf she didn't know in a world she didn't know without a chance on finding her own way out. There didn't seem much else for her to do but sit and heal.

"Serenity. Reni," she replied softly. Silence filled the rounded room Marnen towering over her hands on hips.

"You do not know your own name?" Marnen gave a defeated sigh taking a seat on a chair that seemed to be made of the tree branch itself. The skirts of her dress swirled around her like the petals of a flower.

"Reni is my nickname. I prefer it," she replied grumpily. Her mind had wondered from the awe of the room to the last time she'd eaten. She couldn't remember having any food, or waking up at all since hitting the rock wall. Even her stomach growled echoing her thoughts.

"I would assume that you have not eaten?" Marnen's brows cocked as Reni's face grew read from her cheeks to her collarbones.

"I'm fine," Reni growled unwilling to give Marnen the satisfaction of being right. The older girl smirked.

"Clearly. Come, we shall find something to eat." Marnen stood with more grace than Reni would ever be capable of. She looked at her leg wrapped in the leaf cloth before eyeing Marnen.

"I'm not sure that I can walk," she said.

Marnen turned giving her an exasperated look. "Fine. I shall bring food to you." Reni could sense the aggravation in her tone though Marnen didn't cast a glance in her direction as she began opening the leaf shaped doors of the cabinets. "And put your mask on." Reni gave a sigh doing as she was told. There didn't seem to be many other options.


End file.
